Taoiseach Micheál Martin says Debenhams has treated its Irish workers “very badly”.
In March, the department store announced that it intended to liquidate all operations in Ireland due to the financial impact of Covid-19.
Speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday, Mr Martin said Debenhams should “do the right thing” and pay the previously agreed level of redundancy.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald clashed with the Taoiseach saying nothing has been done to protect workers by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil over the past four years.
"You may be new to the office of Taoiseach but you are not new to government," Ms McDonald said.
In fact, you supported the last administration for four long and very difficult years in which they did precisely zilch, nothing.
Mr Martin said the State will do what it can but Debenhams is a private business.
“There is a commitment in the programme for Government to legislate for the separation of property from trading entities.”
“I think it is important to note that Debenhams workers have gone through a traumatic situation and it is not fair to raise unrealistic expectations and blame everyone else when it is the company that is fundamentally at fault here in terms of the behaviour towards its workers.”
“It was not the outgoing Government’s fault nor is it this Government’s fault but what this Government can do is deal with the legislation around these issues.”
